Week Ahead

SATURDAY 1/19 East-West Shrine Game LSU quarterback Matt Flynn (right) helped his pro prospects by throwing four TD passes against Ohio State in the BCS championship game. He'll try to boost them even further when he leads the East team, which is being coached by Dick Vermeil, in the 83rd annual all-star game for college seniors. ESPN2 7 p.m.

SUNDAY 1/20 Bruins at Rangers New York has certainly started the New Year off on the wrong skate; the Rangers dropped their first five games of '08. The Blueshirts' two biggest problems: Rightwinger Brendan Shanahan (left) has just one point this year, and goalie Henrik Lundqvist's GAA has swollen from 2.22 at year's end to 3.38 since Jan. 1. NBC 12:30 p.m.

NFC Championship Game: Giants at Packers Not one player on either squad—not even Brett Favre—was alive the last time these teams met in the postseason. The Pack beat New York 16--7 in 1962, giving it four straight playoff wins over the Giants. The ageless Favre will try to extend that streak, and don't bet against him: He's 8--2 in postseason games at Lambeau Field. Fox 6:30 p.m.

MONDAY 1/21 No. 3 North Carolina at No. 1 Connecticut Behind freshman forward Maya Moore (right), who leads the Huskies with 16.6 points per game, UConn has been ruthless. "You want to respect everybody," Moore says, "but every time we go out, we want to show no mercy." And they rarely do, outscoring their opponents by an average of 41.1 points and giving up more than 50 only three times. But the Tar Heels should prove to be a tougher challenge. They have the nation's best offense, at 90.6 points per game. ESPN2 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY 1/23 Lakers at Spurs The last meeting between these two Western Conference powers was anything but pretty. On Dec. 13 the Lakers missed 13 of their first 14 shots, but the Spurs, playing without Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, couldn't take advantage and lost 102--97. Both San Antonio stars are healthy again, and they'll face an L.A. team that has won 10 of 11. ESPN 9 p.m.

SI PICK OF THE WEEK

SATURDAY 1/19 No. 24 Clemson at No. 7 Duke The Tigers, who came within a last-second overtime trey of beating top-ranked North Carolina on Jan. 6, have been the ACC's most pleasant surprise. A big reason has been Terrence Oglesby (above, left), who is third on the team in scoring (11.9 points a game) despite not starting a single game. The freshman shooting guard, who worked out with former NBA star Mark Price over the summer, is hitting 42.9% from three-point range. The Blue Devils have a first-year sharpshooter of their own: Taylor King (right), who is 32 for 73 from beyond the arc. ESPN 6 p.m.

Before he became the premier postseason performer of his generation, the Patriots icon was a middling college quarterback who invited skepticism, even scorn, from fans and his coaches. That was all—and that was everything